Isolated island for prison

 THE country’s first isolated maximum security prison will be built on Manus, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill told Parliament last Friday.

He said that as part of the Government’s efforts to address jail breakouts and detain high risk prisoners, a prison facility would be built on one of the province’s isolated islands which is accessible only by plane.

He said the Government saw this as a way of addressing the persistent jail breakouts that were threats to the community.

He added that the Manus facility would be the first privately-run maximum security facility in the country.

“It will be managed through a private arrangement and not State-run like other prisons in the country,” he said.

O’Neill called on all citizens and residents not to harbour escapees such as William Kapris as they could face the full force of the law.

Kapris, serving a 30-year term for armed robbery, broke out of the capital’s Bomana prison last Tuesday with two other inmates and has been on the run since.  

High risk prisoners Raphael Walimini and Michael Warangu were serving life terms for murder.  Warangu was killed in a shootout with police on the day of the escape while Kapris is believed to also have suffered gunshot wounds.

“Since the Manus government has requested and is willing to offer land to build the maximum security prison camp, they will get the project and construction will start next year.”

He commended the Manus provincial government and the people of Manus and its two leaders for accepting the Government’s request to have two important facilities in the province and facilitating them.  

The other important facility is the Australian asylum seekers detention centre.

O’Neill said prisoners sentenced to life terms would be flown to the isolated maximum security prison.